Battle of Bones Teaser – short snippet from the new novel

Working on the final edit right now for Battle of Bones

Sharing a sneaky snippet here…

The friar twisted his head round, angling for the boy. His face plumbed the depths of his pointed hood, beneath which might’ve been fathoms of empty space. Shadowy words slithered discreetly from the lip of the cowl, in hollow, nothing tones: ‘What is darkness?’

Pedro shuddered. ‘Huh?’

‘Darkness is light,’ he continued in a voice as cold as a sea monster’s heart.

There was a long pause. Pedro fought to control his fear. His father had already told him that his boyhood was over, and he was a man now. Brave and strong. Oh God, yes, he must be brave.

The friar elaborated: ‘Darkness is light travelling sideways.’ He let those ominous words linger on the briny air, giving Pedro time to consider them, before elaborating: ‘We cannot see it because it moves in another direction. It appears as darkness, but it is a deviant light. As bright as the light of the sun. Brighter even. It is conniving because it knows how to hide. Like a sun behind the sun.’

A gargantuan wave suddenly whip-smacked the decks. A marine tongue, extending from the jaws of an ocean beast, drooled sea-saliva across the boards. And, with his heart in his mouth, poor Pedro sprinted down the nearest treads.

Men sat drinking and playing backgammon beneath pendulous hammocks. Pedro stopped. Gagged on the strong odour of salted meat, rum, and sweat. He turned and, once again, bolted frantically up the steps, huffing and puffing away from the inebriated merriment.

This poor child yearned to be in the comforting arms of his devoted mamá. But he could not do that again. Not with his father’s emphatic voice in his head, commanding him to be bold.

Look after the women. Don’t run to them for comfort. Be the protector. Be the man.